- Expected GATE Biotechnology Subject Wise Weightage 2026
- GATE Biotechnology Section Wise Weightage 2026 & Important Topics.
- GATE Biotechnology Subject Wise Weightage 2025
- GATE Biotechnology Subject Wise Weightage 2024
- GATE Exam Pattern 2026 for Biotechnology
- What is a Good Score in GATE Biotechnology (BT)?
- GATE Biotechnology Sample Questions 2026
- GATE Best Books for Biotechnology 2026
- Faqs

GATE Biotechnology Subject Wise Weightage 2026: IIT Guwahati has scheduled the GATE 2026 Biotechnology paper for February 2026. You can access the complete GATE 2026 syllabus on their official portal at gate2026.iitg.ac.in. If you are gearing up for this exam, understanding the syllabus structure is essential. The GATE 2026 Biotechnology syllabus PDF covers eight major areas: Engineering Mathematics, General Biology, Genetics, Cellular and Molecular Biology, Fundamentals of Biological Engineering, Bioprocess Engineering and Process Biotechnology, Plant Animal and Microbial Biotechnology, Recombinant DNA Technology, and General Aptitude.
The GATE 2026 marking scheme is divided as follows: General Aptitude contributes 15% with 10 questions worth 15 marks, while Engineering Mathematics and Core Biotechnology together account for 85% through 55 questions totalling 85 marks. The entire exam is computer-based and scored out of 100 marks. Before you begin your preparation, familiarise yourself with all topics within these sections. Focus particularly on high-weightage areas to maximise your performance. The following article will overview of the GATE Biotechnology subject-wise weightage 2026, GATE Biotechnology 2026 important topics, and best books for preparation.
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Expected GATE Biotechnology Subject Wise Weightage 2026
As per the expected GATE 2026 Biotechnology subject wise weightage, General Biology is expected to have around 23 marks questions, Genetics, Cellular and Molecular Biology will have around 21 marks questions, Recombinant DNA Technology and Other Tools in Biotechnology will have 5 marks questions, and so on. The important topics in GATE Biotechnology are Biomolecules, Enzymes, Antibody Classification, Microbial Diseases, etc.
You can check out the expected GATE Biotechnology subject-wise weightage 2026 below:
Important Topics | Expected GATE Biotechnology Marks/ Weightage |
|---|---|
General Biology | 23 |
General Aptitude | 15 |
Engineering Mathematics | 13 |
Genetics, Cellular and Molecular Biology | 21 |
Plant, Animal, and Microbial Biotechnology | 6 |
Fundamentals of Biological Engineering | 10 |
Bioprocess Engineering and Process Biotechnology | 7 |
Recombinant DNA Technology and Other Tools in Biotechnology | 5 |
Total Marks | 100 |
GATE Biotechnology Section Wise Weightage 2026 & Important Topics.
The GATE Biotechnology (BT) subject-wise weightage 2026 will help you understand the important chapters of the GATE BT syllabus 2026. As per the GATE previous year's question paper analysis, we have also mentioned the GATE Biotechnology important topics 2026. While studying for the GATE 2026 Biotechnology exam, you must go through these topics thoroughly.
Section | GATE BT 2026 Important Topics | Expected Marks Weightage |
|---|---|---|
Engineering Mathematics |
| 15% |
Biochemistry |
| 70% |
Microbiology |
| |
Cell Biology |
| |
Molecular Biology & Genetics |
| |
Analytical Techniques |
| |
Immunology |
| |
Bioinformatics |
| |
Recombinant DNA Technology (Genetic Engineering) |
| |
Plant & Animal Biotechnology |
| |
Bioprocess Engineering & Process Biotechnology |
| |
General Aptitude | - | 15% |
Also Read:
GATE Biotechnology Subject Wise Weightage 2025
In the following table, we have provided the subject wise weightage for GATE 2025 Biotechnology:
Subjects | Marks Weightage 2025 |
|---|---|
Engineering math | 9 |
General biology, Biochemistry, microbiology, and immunology | 13 |
Genetics, Cellular biology, Molecular Biology | 13 |
Fundamentals of Biochemical Engineering | 3 |
Bioprocess Engineering Process Biotech | 8 |
Plant, animal, and microbiotech | 1 |
RDT and other tools | 7 |
General Aptitude | 10 |
GATE Biotechnology Subject Wise Weightage 2024
Check out the GATE Biotechnology (BT) subject wise weightage 2024 below:
Subjects | Marks Weightage 2024 |
|---|---|
Engineering Mathematics | 9 |
General biology, Biochemistry, microbiology, and immunology | 13 |
Genetics, Cellular biology, Molecular Biology | 10 |
Fundamentals of Biochemical Engineering | 9 |
Bioprocess Engineering Process Biotech | 8 |
Plant, animal, and microbiotech | 3 |
RDT and other tools | 4 |
General Aptitude | 10 |
GATE Exam Pattern 2026 for Biotechnology
The GATE 2026 exam pattern for Biotechnology has been released. The exam pattern of GATE 2026 will help you to know about the section-wise weightage, exam duration, marking scheme, etc. Check out the GATE 2026 exam pattern for Biotechnology below.
Particular | Details |
|---|---|
Paper Code | BT |
GATE exam mode | Online Mode as a Computer-Based Test |
GATE Exam Duration | 3 hours (180 mins) |
GATE Question Types | Multiple Choice Questions (MCQ) Multiple Select Questions (MSQ) Numerical Answer Type (NAT) Questions |
Number of Questions | 10 (General Aptitude) + 55 ( Engineering Mathematics/Biotechnology subject) = 65 Questions |
Negative Marking |
|
GATE Biotechnology Subject Marks | 85 marks |
General Aptitude (GA) Marks | 15 marks |
Total marks | 100 Marks |
Also Read: GATE 2026 Exam Dates
What is a Good Score in GATE Biotechnology (BT)?
To pass the GATE 2026 exam, you need to score well and have a good rank. You must be aware of what a good score in the GATE Biotechnology is to plan your exam preparations as per the expected marks in the GATE BT 2026 exam. Therefore, we have mentioned the expected GATE good scores for the Biotechnology sections below.
Section | Good Score (Expected) |
|---|---|
Mathematics | 25-28 |
Biochemistry | 15-20 |
Microbiology | 10-12 |
Cell Biology | 5-10 |
Molecular Biology & Genetics | 13-18 |
Analytical Techniques | 8-10 |
Immunology | 15-18 |
Bioinformatics | 11-13 |
Recombinant DNA Technology (Genetic Engineering) | 14-16 |
Plant & Animal Biotechnology | 20-25 |
Bioprocess Engineering & Process Biotechnology | 10-12 |
GATE Biotechnology Sample Questions 2026
While preparing for the GATE BT exam 2026, you can practice with these sample questions. The following GATE sample questions have been picked from the official GATE previous year papers. Check out the GATE Biotechnology sample questions 2026 below:
Q1:
A cultured skin fibroblast cell of a goat 'P' was fused with an enucleated ovum of a goat 'Q'. The resultant activated early embryo was then transplanted into a pseudopregnant (surrogate) female goat 'R' of the same strain as 'Q'. On completion of gestation, a female goat 'S' was born. With the exception of mitochondrial DNA, 'S' is a clone of
(A) Only P
(B) Only Q
(C) Only R
(D) Both P and R
.
Q2:
Which one of the following is an insect cell line?
(A) HEK 293
(B) Sf9
(C) Dh5a
(D) CHO
Q3:
Which one of the following methods? is the basic principle of Sanger's DNA sequencing
(A) Chain termination
(B) Chain elongation by
(C) Release of inorganic pyrophosphate
(D) Chain cleavage by modification of dideoxynucleotides
Q4:
An element that is present in a nucleotide but not in a nucleoside is
(A) Carbon
(B) Nitrogen
(G) Oxygen
(D) Phosphorus
Q5:
Which one of the following drugs is NOT an immune checkpoint inhibitor?
(A) Ipilimumab
(B) Pembrolizumab
(C) Nivolumab
(D) Trastuzumab
Q6:
Which one of the following is required for the development of B-cells in the bone marrow?
(A) Stromal cells
(B) Dendritic cells
(C) Kupffer cells
(D) NK cells
Q7:
Which one of the following statements is TRUE about leghemoglobin?
(A) It binds oxygen to protect nitrogenase
(B) It binds haemoglobin to protect oxygenase
(C) It binds oxygen to protect hydrogenase
(D) It binds oxygen to protect the oxygenase
Q8:
The maximum parsimony method is used to construct a phylogenetic tree for a set of sequences. Which one of the following statements about the method is CORRECT?
(A) It predicts the tree that minimises the steps required to generate the observed variations
(B) It predicts the tree that maximises the steps required to generate the observed variations
(C) It predicts the tree with the least number of branch points
(D) It employs probability calculations to identify the tree
GATE Best Books for Biotechnology 2026
You must study from the best expert-recommended GATE books 2026 only to achieve the best possible scores in the GATE 2026 result. Choose those books for the GATE exam 2026 that are as per the latest GATE Biotechnology syllabus. Since a Biotechnology paper requires a lot of conceptual understanding, you must pick books with proper explanations. We have listed some of the best books for GATE 2026 for Biotechnology papers below that you can refer to:
Name of the Book | Author / Publication |
|---|---|
Life Science Part 1 and 2. | Pathfinder publications |
Biotechnology | Pranav Kumar |
GATE General Aptitude and Mathematics | GK Publishers |
Principle of Bioprocess Engineering | P. Doran |
Bioprocess Engineering | Schuler & Kargi |
Fundamentals of Biochemistry | Lehninger |
Immunology | Kuby |
GATE Biotechnology | GK Publishers |
Molecular Cell Biology | Lodish and Baltimore |
Molecular biology of the gene | James Watson |
Bioprocess Engineering principles | Pauline Doran |
Principles of Gene Manipulation | Primrose & Twyman |
Immunology | Kuby |
Advanced Engineering Mathematics | Erwin Kreyszig |
Plant Biotech | Slater |
Gene cloning and DNA analysis | T.A Brown |
We hope that this article on the GATE Biotechnology subject-wise weightage 2026 was helpful and informative. For more such updates related to the GATE exam, stay tuned to CollegeDekho.
FAQs
You take the GATE 2026 Biotechnology exam online as a 3-hour computer-based test worth 100 marks. It has 65 questions split into General Aptitude for 15 marks and Biotechnology subjects, including Engineering Mathematics for 85 marks. Questions come as MCQs with negative marking, MSQs and NATs without it based on past trends and official patterns.
You can expect the GATE 2026 Biotechnology qualifying marks to be similar to those of recent years. The organising institute has not yet released official 2026 cutoffs. Based on official and reputable reports, the qualifying marks for the General category in 2025 were approximately 28, for OBC around 25, and for SC/ST/PwD about 19. Treat these figures as a planning benchmark while awaiting publication by the GATE authority.
For GATE 2026 Biotechnology, aim for about 70 to 75 marks as a good score; 75 or higher is excellent and improves your chance of admission to top IITs and IISc. Qualifying marks and institute cutoffs vary by year and category and have been reported between 28 and 40 in recent cycles. You should target 75 plus for most competitive seats and at least 60 to be competitive for NITs.
The syllabus of GATE BT 2026 consists of some of the following subjects that include Recombinant DNA Technology and other tools in Biotechnology, Fundamentals of Biological Engineering, Plant, Animal Microbial Biotechnology, Bioprocess Engineering Process Biotechnology.
For GATE Biotechnology 2026, you must plan that General Aptitude carries 15 marks while Engineering Mathematics plus core Biotechnology together total 85 marks. The official GATE 2026 information and the BT syllabus confirm a 100 mark paper with GA as 15 and the subject portion as 85. Use past papers, top analyses on YouTube, and community discussions for topic weight trends within the 85 marks, so prioritise study effectively now.
Yes, the GATE 2026 BT exam will consist of negative markings. For 1-mark multiple-choice questions, 1/3 mark will be deducted for a wrong answer. Similarly, for 2-mark MCQs, 2/3 marks will be deducted for a wrong answer. Moreover, there is no provision for any negative marking for incorrect answers in numerical answer type (NAT) questions.
General Biology is considered as the high-weightage chapter in the GATE Biotechnology exam with around 23 questions expected.














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